Hello, lovely travelers! Am I seeing someone taking an interest in traveling to Thailand in April (from the fact that you are reading this) and still not knowing what to expect?
Well, the first thing you need to be aware of is that, unlike the spring weather you may be used to in the States, April in Thailand means one thing and one thing only: hot, hot, and hot!
Second, learning some Thai will be very helpful in getting the most local experience. Now, if you feel like that is your call, then waste no time and tag along!
What Are The Songkran And Wan Lai Festivals?
Under the summery sun of April, there are two popular events you can always expect: Songkran and Wan Lai festivals. Songkran is the Thai New Year and Thailand’s most well-known festival, and Wan Lai takes place around 5 or 6 days after it.
Songkran takes place from April 13th to 15th every year. It’s a refreshing tradition where Thai locals, as well as tourists from all over the world, come out onto the streets to fight each other with the freshness of water, marking the beginning of the Buddhist calendar.
Thanks to Songkran alone, April is probably one of the best months to visit Thailand, as the entire country will be in a festive mode.
However, if you’re going to be in Thailand slightly later than that and would like to know your other fun options, you have come to the right place, my friends! Because Wan Lai Festival, which takes place roughly 5 to 6 days after Songkran, will offer you the same kind of fun and drag it to almost the end of April.
What’s The History Behind Wan Lai Festival?
Wan Lai (วันไหล), simply translated as “the flowing day,” was originally known as kor phra sai nam lhai (ก่อพระทรายน้ำไหล), which can be roughly translated as the act of building sand pagodas to let water flow down from them.
Considered the New Year of the seaside people and fishermen, Wan Lai was a tradition that could be found in the east and in some parts of central Thailand.
In the past, people would gather together on Wan Lai days to carry sand from water sources into their local temples to build 84,000 cone-shaped sand pagodas (the number of the Dharma gates to enlightenment) and decorate them with colorful flags and flowers. And this sand would later be used by the temples in construction and temple maintenance.
However, things are not quite the same nowadays. With facilitating technologies, people no longer have to carry the sand to the temples.
So, what remains is simply the festive spirit of Wan Lai Day, Buddhist activities such as sprinkling water on a Buddha image and making merits on the Thai New Year, and the extension of the Songkran festivities, where people come together on the beach to wash the heat away.
5 Tips For Surviving Wan Lai Festival
1. Check The Date And Location Before You Go!
Unlike Songkran, with permanent fixed dates, the dates and locations of some Wan Lai events may differ each year. So, do a little bit of research just for your peace of mind and guaranteed fun!
2. Get Yourself Some Colorful Clothes
Oh dear, I really mean it! To truly take in the festive energy, you may need to put on some flower-patterned shirts, neon tank tops, or bright overalls because this is the one time of the year when Thai people walk around with their fashion statements. So choose whatever you feel is the most fun.
3. Keep Your Belongings Safe And Dry
Wan Lai Festival is the extension of the water fight festival, which means you’ll almost certainly get wet. So make sure to buy a waterproof phone pouch to keep your phone and important stuff safe!
4. Choose Your Water Weapon Wisely
You join this festival to have fun, and so do others. So, choose the right weapon while also keeping other people in mind. Water buckets or water guns will always be fine. But make sure to avoid getting a high-pressure water gun because not only can they hurt the person you aim at, but they’ve also been banned from water fights for many years.
5. Have Fun But Also Be Smart
Lastly, and most importantly, just have fun! Enjoy the cultural activities and get soaked because that’s the main point of Songkran and Wan Lai. A fun break from our stressful world. However, as it will probably be packed everywhere, potentially with drunk and stoned people, always be smart and take care of yourself.
Now that I’ve done my part to keep everything enjoyable and safe for you, we can’t have this article without mentioning one of the most important things: where to go.
Where To Go For Wan Lai Festival
You now have a rough idea of what to expect from the festival, so in this part, we’ll check out your best Wan Lai options together. Here, I’ve curated a local-approved list for you to have the best, most immersive Wan Lai experience possible.
1. Wan Lai Bang Saen At Bang Saen Beach
Bang Saen’s Wan Lai offers you both traditional Thai New Year experiences: Thai people coming together to make merit and sprinkle water on the Buddha image, and the Songkran celebrations.
Activities: Kor phra sai nam lhai (ก่อพระทรายน้ำไหล) or building sand pagodas, watching traditional shows and sports like muay talay (มวยทะเล) or water boxing, etc.
2. Wan Lai Pattaya In Pattaya City
Whenever Wan Lai festival is mentioned, you can almost be sure that Pattaya will follow because it’s the most famous Wan Lai festival yet.
Activities: Wild water fights and a fun music festival.
3. Wan Lai Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan
Here, you can expect the full Songkran experience. Unlike many other cities in Thailand, people in Phra Pradaeng have been continuing the Raman traditions and hold their Songkran festival later than the usual dates.
Activities: Watching cultural performances and the Mon people’s parades, water fights, etc.
Thai Vocabulary For Wan Lai Festival
Picking up a few words before you go will make your Wan Lai experience so much richer. Here are some of the most useful and commonly used words and phrases you’ll hear during the festival.
| English | Thai | Romanization | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wan Lai Festival | วันไหล | Wan Lai | |
| Songkran | สงกรานต์ | Songkran | |
| Water | น้ำ | Nam | |
| Water fight | เล่นน้ำ | Len nam | |
| Water gun | ปืนฉีดน้ำ | Puen cheed nam | |
| Sand pagoda | พระทรายน้ำไหล | Phra sai nam lhai | |
| Beach | หาดทราย | Hat sai | |
| Temple | วัด | Wat | |
| Merit-making | ทำบุญ | Tham bun | |
| Buddha image | พระพุทธรูป | Phra phuttharup | |
| New Year | ปีใหม่ | Pi mai | |
| Happy New Year | สวัสดีปีใหม่ | Sawatdi pi mai | |
| Wet | เปียก | Piak | |
| Fun / enjoyable | สนุก | Sanuk | |
| Festival | เทศกาล | Thetsakan |
Useful Sentences To Survive Wan Lai
It never hurts to learn a little bit of the language if you’ll be traveling to Thailand (and any other country for that matter). Not only will you be able to spark a conversation with a local or even your fellow expat, but you’ll also have a higher chance of getting through an undesirable situation.
So here, I have three phrases that will be useful for your Wan Lai days!
1. How To Get To? – Pai Yang Ngai? (ไปยังไงคะ/ ครับ/ จ้ะ)
This sentence is useful for when you’re a bit lost and don’t know how to get to your desired Wan Lai festival location:
| English | Thai | Romanization | Audio |
| How to get to____? | ____ ไปยังไงคะ/ ครับ/ จ้ะ | ____Pai yang ngai ka/ krub/ ja |
Note: ____ is replaced by the name of the place that you’d like to go to. And end your sentence politely, depending on your gender or preference. Ka is used by a female, krub is used by a male, while ja is gender-neutral. Learn more about this in our Thai particles guide.
2. I Don’t Want To Get Wet. – Mai Yak Piak (ฉันไม่อยากเปียก)
Like Songkran, Wan Lai festival is water-related, so you can almost be certain that you’ll get soaked. However, if there’s an occasion when you would like to stay dry, try this:
| English | Thai | Romanization | Audio |
| I don’t want to get wet. | ฉันไม่อยากเปียก | Chan mai yak piak |
Note: I can’t guarantee that they won’t throw water at you anyway.
3. No Ice, Please. – Mai Ao Nam Kaeng (ไม่เอาน้ำแข็งค่ะ/ ครับ/ จ้า)
Now, after a long while of being soaking wet, you start to shiver. Someone is about to throw a bucket of water mixed with ice at you, and you don’t like the idea at all. Here’s what you can say:
| English | Thai | Romanization | Audio |
| No ice, please. | ไม่เอาน้ำแข็งค่ะ/ ครับ/ จ้า | Mai ao nam khaeng ka/ krub/ ja |
Frequently Asked Questions About Wan Lai Festival
What Is Wan Lai Festival And How Is It Different From Songkran?
Wan Lai (วันไหล) literally means “flowing day.” It refers to the way the New Year festivities continue flowing after the official national Songkran holiday ends on April 15. While Songkran is celebrated nationwide, Wan Lai is specific to the eastern coastal provinces of Thailand, with its own local traditions like building sand pagodas on the beach.
What Is Wan Lai Day?
Wan Lai Day is the last and wildest day of the extended Songkran celebrations in Pattaya, when the water really does flow practically continuously, and everybody is armed with a water dispenser of some description. It’s the grand finale of the Thai New Year season, and locals and tourists alike treat it as the biggest splash day of the whole festival.
What Is Wan Lai Pattaya?
Wan Lai Pattaya is the legendary finale of Pattaya’s extended Songkran celebration, held on April 19, when the entire Beach Road corridor transforms into the world’s biggest water fight: pickup trucks cruise loaded with water tanks, speakers blasting music, and groups of people drenching everything in sight. No other city in Thailand celebrates Songkran this long, this loud, or this wet.
What Is The Biggest Festival In Thailand?
Songkran is Thailand’s biggest festival: a national holiday where the entire country celebrates the Thai New Year with water fights, temple visits, and cultural traditions every April. Wan Lai is its eastern coastal extension, and together they make April the most festive month in the Thai calendar.
Will I Definitely Get Wet At Wan Lai Festival?
Yes, there’s really no avoiding it if you’re out in the streets. If you want to stay dry, your only option is to stay inside. So just embrace it, wear quick-dry clothes, skip the white shirts (they go see-through when wet), and make sure your phone is safely tucked in a waterproof pouch.
Is Wan Lai Festival Safe For Families And Children?
Yes, especially if you choose the right location and time of day. The Naklua area in North Pattaya keeps things more traditional and is calmer and more family-oriented than the Beach Road chaos.
For the most family-friendly experience, head to the morning cultural events like the alms-giving ceremony and Buddha image bathing, and save Beach Road for later, or skip it altogether if you have young kids in tow.
Wrapping Up: Wan Lai Festival In Thailand
In this post, we covered everything you need to know to make the most of Wan Lai festival. From its origins as a seaside New Year tradition built around sand pagodas to the best locations to celebrate it, including Bang Saen for a more cultural experience and Pattaya for the wildest water fights in the country.
We also walked you through five practical tips for surviving the festival, a handy vocabulary table, and a few key Thai phrases that’ll come in handy when you’re soaking wet and trying to navigate the streets.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a Songkran veteran looking to extend the fun, Wan Lai is absolutely worth planning your trip around. Pack your waterproof pouch, throw on something colorful, and don’t forget to brush up on your Thai with Ling before you go!
Learn Thai With Ling!
You’ve reached the end of the article, so first of all, I hope that you’ve learned all that you were looking for about Wan Lai festival.
And also, I would assume that you’ll almost certainly visit Thailand one of these days. It’s a charming country full of countless things to do and explore. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to experience all the wonders this country has to offer.
So, why not start now and take the first step toward learning the Thai language with Ling? Gain access to interactive and fun Thai lessons, dialogs to practice conversations, native-speaker audio, many review features, and more. All to boost your confidence before your trip.
Download Ling on the Play Store or App Store, and get ready to have fun!
